The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-04

pressed preference for her. Seated ON
mat before his door he washes his hands III
the vessel, and the woman drinks the water
as token of her affection Less repulsive
was the act of the lover among the ancient
Perslans, who burned his hand OF cheek to
prove his devotion and then showed 1t to his
lady-love. If she was ''willin," she bound
the injured part with silken scarf, but II
obdurate she sent the man to physician for
healing salve.
Among the Moravians it was the system
for the ministers to select wives for the men
OF his congregation. If a SISTER" had any
objection to the brother" selected for her
life partner she was, permitted to state 1t,
but it was generally overruled by the
priests eloquence. Strange to say, the his
torlan tells us that these marriages were
generally happy
In Greenland the services of the pastor of
the flock are also called in. A man who
has made up his mind that his worldly cir
cumstances warrant him in INDUCING in
what has been called "the abstract desire of
every man to furnish board and lodging to
some young lady" and has decided what
young lady he wishes to be taxed for, calls
on the reverend father and states his case.
The inquiry is made whether the girl knows
OF the suit, to which the man replies that
he has tried some preliminary love-maklnS,
which was not very kindly received, but
adds: Thou knowest the ways of man.
kind" In Greenland, be it remarked, it is
an accepted fact in social philosophy that
a woman's no means yes. The priest calls
upon the young woman and pleads The cause
OF her lover, assuring her that he Is good
man, that he catches many seals, etc. 1t
is the custom for the woman to reject all
proposals at first, but to yield at last an UNI
willing assent. If the priest thinks she is
too obstinate he generally remarks: "Ah,
well, it is no matter; can easily find an
other woman who will have such good
provider,n and turns to leave, which action
brings the stubborn maiden to terms at
once. In st. Petersburg, Russia, custom
prevailed for many years-though declined
greatly i'll Importance, it has not gone en-
tirely out of use-which was designed to
stimulate the laggards in courtship. On
Whitsunday there was held in the Summer
Garden one of the city's parks, fair of all
the damsels of the city who wanted hus-
bands. Dressed III their best, with all the
ornaments at command, and holding silver
spoons or other ware in their hands to show
that they were not wholly portionleSs. thy
stood in rows under the trees, attended by
parents or guardians, to insure proprlety
of behavior, to facilitate matrimonial bar
gains The men in search of wives strolled
about scrutinizing all the candidates at
him he usually introduced himself to her
custodians, and if his statement of family,
business and prospects were satisfactory he
was made acquainted with the young
woman and invited to her residence.
After this the nuptial ceremony followed
as speedily as the would-be bridegroom de-
sired
We find custom precisely like this still
in existence in district in the south of Ire
L., - kEtl,,. -
the name being derived from ShrOve-Tues-
day, the day on which it was held. On that
day all the marriageable young people of
both sexes are marshaled on the village
green by their parents-the girls in all the
glory of Sunday COWS and gay ribbons. as
lovely as fresh-biown roses, evidently en-
iOying their best attire, looking as foolish
as only the male human can look on exhibit
ton The two sexes are stationed i'll line
apart from each other, and the parents pass
between to vouchsafe proposals or to receive
them, and to haggle over marriage por-
tions. The preferences of the young people
are fully understood by the elders, and
commendable effort is made to crafty
them, the main object of the parents being
to secure as good a set-out as possible for
the young couple As this ceremony occurs
on Shrove- TueSdayit is often brief woOing
to the willing victims, for Lent beginning
the following day, which perforce post
pones all marriages for six weeks, the ma
jority of the couples are united by the priest
the same evening.
Happy is the wooing
Which is not long doing,
the sentiment of the ancient Celt, was also
the belief of the famous DR.. Abernethv.
This gentleman, when he made up his mind
to marry, was no longer young and he
~
practical manner Having met frequently
at the house of one of his patients a young
woman whose corneliness and amiability had
quite pleased him, he sought private in
terview with her, told her he would like to
marry her, if she had no objections, but had
no time o spendin counting her. If, how
ever, she would marry him. and could be
ready in two weeks, he would call and take
her to church for the ceremony. She was
ready at the time appointed, and neither
ever had occasion to regret the very brief
preliminarieS to what proved to be a most
suitable union.
All persons, we may suppose. have not
like opportunity with these two to be as
sured Of the worthiness of the object of their
choice beforehand. but there are instances
where even holder suitors than Abernethy
have been favored by fortune. A California
miner, having amassed quite fortune. was
returning by ship to New DIRK TO revisit
old friends and to find him wife. A young
woman on board the ship, serving i'll the
capacity of nursery governess to the family
of a merchant on board, pleased him much
by her neat and modest appearance He
therefore introduced himself one day, and
broke the ice of has purpose with one reck-
less plunge: Madame, my name is -,
my parents and family reside in New
Hampshire | have property amounting TO
5000, 900, and expect to engage in business
in -. l am perfectly temperate man,
and / could give you good reference to tes-
tify to my general upright character am
and " ant wife, will you marry
me?" The lady took the character of her
suitor at once "Thank you" said she, II
will and on landing they were forthwith
married
However, whether this law was ever
placed on record or not, the practice of fe-
male proposals was never adopted and seems
never to have been more than a tradition.
There have been instances, of course, of a
woman who dared, but not many, for the
risk of a refusal was too serious a one to
run.
How the Princess LoIise, of Savoy, ever
recovered from her humiliation after having
offered herself in marriage to Charles, Duke
OF Bourbon, only to receive grave but
positive refusal, few women can understand.
Ladies, however, are permitted to assist
a bashful wooer when